The Alexandria School Board is set to vote on Thursday (October 29) on a revised memorandum of understanding with the Alexandria Police Department to provide school resource officers in the city’s public schools.
Among the changes are definitions of student “contact” with a police officer, since any contact with a student must be reported to ACPS. That includes:
Alexandria City Public Schools are not likely to fully reopen until there is a vaccine for the coronavirus, Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. told CNN on Wednesday. The interview with Jake Tapper was hours before the School Board tabled a proposal to phase in kids from kindergarten to eighth grade in January and February.
“I think having all of our students at one time in our classrooms, it definitely, probably won’t be until a vaccine occurs,” Hutchings told CNN.
The Alexandria School Board will vote tonight on the Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr.’s phased plan to reopen elementary and middle schools starting next month.
The board will discuss and then vote on the proposal, which was unveiled on October 15. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.
Alexandria Living Legend Joe Shumard Dies — “Over the weekend, Joe Shumard, an Alexandria Living Legend, past president of the Chamber of Commerce, executive director of the George Washington Birthday Celebration and Parade, and president of the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association, passed away after an extended illness.” [Zebra]
Beyer Calls Trump ‘Menace’ After President Denounces Fauci on Twitter — “Donald Trump publicly attacks one of the country’s leading medical experts with juvenile personal insults as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths spike across the United States. Trump is a menace to the health and safety of the American people.” [Twitter]
What a week it’s been in Alexandria.
Our top story this week was the report that Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. sends one of his children to Bishop Ireton High School. In case you missed it, the story first broke in Theogony, the T.C. Williams High School newspaper.
Alexandria City Public Schools are planning on slowly reopening their doors to students and teachers next month.
On Thursday, Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. formally unveiled his phased approach to reopening the city’s public school system. Desks will be outfitted with sneeze guards and students and teachers will have to wear face masks and maintain distancing.
Ashley Sanchez-Viafara, one of the student representatives on the Alexandria School Board, reported that she was called the n-word in an online forum discussing race in Alexandria City Public Schools.
The school system is in the renaming process for T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School, and the October 7 student forum was the second conversation on where ACPS stands in regard to racial issues.
It’s been a little more than a month since school started virtually, and thousands of students, teachers and families are divided over the Alexandria City Public Schools’ VirtualPLUS+ program.
On Thursday, the Alexandria School Board will publicly review survey responses filled out by 5,952 students (53% of students grades 3-12), 2,060 teachers (77% of full time employees) and 7,439 families (48%) on their VirtualPLUS+ experience.
Desks with sneeze guards, social distancing and face masks — those are a few of the recommendations that the Alexandria School Board will receive at its meeting on Thursday as Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. is set to unveil his phased approach to reopening the city’s public school system.
The pandemic forced Alexandria City Public Schools to send students home in March. Under the proposal the school system would open its doors to the city’s most vulnerable students starting next month. There are more than 400 students needing specialized instruction that would be phased into the school Between Nov. 5 and Nov. 30.
City Recommends Staying Home for the Holidays — “The safest way to enjoy the holidays while COVID-19 remains in the community is to find ways to celebrate at home… For everyone’s safety, the CDC recommends quarantining for 14 days following all travel.” [City of Alexandria]
Voter Registration Deadline is Approaching — “There’s currently no line to vote at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections (132 N. Royal St.)! This option is available to all registered voters in Alexandria through Oct. 31. For days, times, other locations, and other voting options, visit alexandriava.gov/1720.” [Twitter]
It’s the end of a busy week in Alexandria.
Once again, crime and public safety stories were the most read on ALXnow.
